Hi! I am from BC in Canada, and I would like to go somewhere relatively mild and dry in March or April to train on the bike for a week with a buddy. I am thinking of Austin TX, or Tucson AZ, or Southern Cal, but I am not sure. I want mild temperatures, long hills and safe roads. Any advice out there? Any other recommendations?
Thanks much,
Pierre
Pierre,
we are having a 4 day training camp in March that is reasonably priced compared to many. It would be easy to tack a couple of days onto either end of the camp and I’d be happy to help with the arrangements. Check out www.tripower.og under camps for more info.
Monterey, CA. The temps are mild year round (although probably a few degrees cooler than the other locations you mention) and the location is beautiful. Given a week of mostly bike stuff, this is what I’d recommend:
Day 1: Ride the Saturday Morning Ride route along 17-Mile Drive, through Pebble Beach, including the climb up and over Huckleberry Hill (or Spyglass, or any one of a dozen other smokers).
Day 2: Ride Carmel Valley, including the Laureles Grade. Think little gears; you’ll need them.
Day 3: Ride the Sea Otter Course out on the former Fort Ord. The roads are closed to cars, and none of it is flat. Don’t know how, but it seems like 90% of it is uphill–a physical impossibility.
Day 4: Ride River Road down the Salinas Valley to King City. Time it right, because by the afternoon, the wind howls south along the valley and makes heading northbound an Alps-like proposition.
Day 5: Go down and ride the classic Wildflower course at Lake San Antonio, or ride the Old Borax Road east out of Salinas. Long-steady climb in the latter, lots of hills in the former.
Throw in a couple of open-water swims for good measure, including the Kelp Crawl at Lovers Point (site of The Triathlon at Pacific Grove) and a run or two on the beach from Fisherman’s Wharf up to the former Fort Ord, and you’ve got a good training camp.
And don’t miss out on the great restaurants: The Tinnery, the Bath House (both a Lover’s Point), Rocky Point down on the Big Sur coast, and any one of a hundred others…
Thank you Mike, but at the moment I cannot access your Web site for some reason. I will keep trying. Pierre
Got it, Mike. The “r” of “org” was missing.
Thank you, but I want it to be a vacation with my buddy and maybe our wives, just renting a motel room or something, with no structure at all, and all focused on cycling.
Thanks again.
not a problem. If you decide to come this way let me know anyways, I can hook you up with all the training hot spots and local knowledge.
Thanks a lot Ben, this is good advice. I have been there before and remember thinking that it might be good cycling country…